1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a convertible motor vehicle roof such as for hatchbacks or pickups.
2. Description of Related Art
The published European application EP 0 989 008 A2 discloses one such motor vehicle roof for a motor vehicle which has a louvered roof with several louvered roof parts which are arranged behind one another. The louvered roof parts are hinged to one another and are movably supported on guides on side lengthwise roof frames or side roof members. To open the louvered roof, the louvered roof parts are moved on the guides to the rear into a storage space in a rear door and then are arranged, stacked in a vertical alignment.
The primary object of the invention is to provide a convertible motor vehicle roof with greater flexibility. Another object of the invention is to provide such a convertible motor vehicle roof with at least one roof part which is supported to move lengthwise on the side roof members so that when the roof is being opened, the roof part is movable into a storage position.
These and other objects and advantages are achieved in the aforementioned motor vehicle roof in accordance with the present invention in that the roof part or roof parts are moveable onto a roof unit or rear unit before lowering of the roof into a storage space. The storage space compactly accommodates the roof part or the roof parts arranged stacked therein so that due to the reduced space requirement, the possibilities for movement and storage on the body for the movable and storable roof parts are improved. The roof part may be formed in different ways, for example by a folding roof, a shade roof or a solid roof element, or the motor vehicle roof is a louvered roof with several louvers as the roof parts.
Feasibly, the roof parts together with the movable roof unit or the movable rear unit, may be moved into the storage position. Thus, the roof parts are first transferred to a storage space which is advantageously arranged under structural or formal boundary conditions. The storage space is then moved with the roof unit or rear unit which contains it when the roof is being lowered to the final storage position for the roof parts.
According to one advantageous embodiment, the roof parts, together with the movable roof unit or the movable rear unit, may be moved into the storage position.
In one embodiment, the storage space for the roof parts is located preferably on the roof cassette, the rear element or the rear door.
The roof unit may preferably be a roof cassette which forms a rear roof section and which contains the storage space for the roof parts which are stacked.
According to another advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the side roof member located in front of the roof unit or the roof cassette is moved by a bearing means laterally next to or to under the roof cassette when the roof is being opened.
The rear unit preferably includes a rear element which extends over the width of the motor vehicle and/or two lateral rear columns.
According to one embodiment, the roof cassette is supported on a motor vehicle side part by a lateral rear column which is hinged on the roof cassette, and when the roof cassette is being lowered, is swivelled into a side horizontal position.
To attain the above, the lateral rear column is preferably movably supported on its lower end on a guideway on the side part of the motor vehicle.
Preferably, the roof cassette is movably supported by a front rod on the side part of the motor vehicle and the front rod, together with the rear column, forms a four-bar mechanism by which the roof cassette can be lowered into the storage position, especially in a horizontal alignment.
The roof part or the roof parts can be accommodated, stacked in a rear door according to one advantageous embodiment, and the rear element which has one rear column, and one top rear transverse part at a time is, on the one hand, pivotally attached via the rear column to the body, and on the other hand, is hinged to the side roof member.
The side roof member on the rear element is supported in a joint which guides the side roof member to the outside when the rear element is being swivelled forward, and at the same time, swivels it down, the support on the other end of the side roof member enabling a swivelling-sliding motion.
The roof part or roof parts may be accommodated stacked in a rear door according to one advantageous embodiment and the roof unit is a roof cassette which forms the rear roof section. Furthermore, the side roof member which is located in front of the roof cassette when the roof is being opened, may be moved to under the roof cassette by a bearing means. Finally, the lateral rear column supports the roof cassette on the side part of the motor vehicle which is hinged to the roof cassette, and is swivelled into a lateral horizontal position when the roof cassette is being lowered.
The lateral rear column or the rear element is movably supported on its bottom end on or in a guideway on the motor vehicle side part.
The roof cassette is movably supported by a front rod on the motor vehicle side part, and the front rod, together with the rear column, forms a four-bar mechanism by which the roof cassette can be lowered into the storage position, especially in a horizontal alignment.
Preferably, the side roof member which is located in the lengthwise direction of the motor vehicle in front of the roof unit or the roof cassette when the roof is being opened, is located laterally on the roof cassette by the bearing means.
The lateral rear column supports the roof cassette on a motor vehicle side part. It is hinged on the roof cassette and swivels when the roof cassette is being lowered into a lateral horizontal position.
The lateral rear column is preferably movably supported on its bottom end on, or in, a guideway on the motor vehicle side part.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when viewed in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.